It would be better than the current Big Ten, that is for sure.
But, just a fan's opinion here, I doubt ND would want anything to do with even this Frankenstein of a Big Ten.
Where is the playing of games in the Southeast for recruiting exposure?
Eight games is too many, not leaving room for series with other conferences (games against schools like FSU, Miami, Georgia, Arizona State, , the Navy game and the Southern Cal and Stanford games for West Coast exposure).
It would still be putting ND under the thumb of the Big Ten, which ND has struggled mightily to avoid. I don't think ND would join it.
There are also the small matters of the ACC GOR, the ACC exit fee and the contract that says that if ND is forced to join any conference for football before 2027, it has to be the ACC.
I agree that ND will only join a conference if it has no other way to ensure itself a path to the football playoffs and that the ACC is ND's preferred destination. Thus, assuming that ND does have to join a conference, would a B1G with members in the Northeast and Texas plus lower Olympic Sport travel costs as ND can take a bus to schools in IL, IN, OH, and MI than the ACC (assuming they West Virginia, Cincinnati and another school or two)? ND's football team would get 2 east coast games a year (alternating home/away games with Penn St, Maryland, Rutgers, and UConn), and an opportunity to play 1 game every other year in the south central (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska) and still have 3 to 4 (assumes an 8 game league schedule) open slots for it's rivalry games with Navy, USC, etc.
Pods
East: 1) Maryland, 2) ND, 3) Penn St, 4) Rutgers, 5) UConn
North: 1) Indiana, 2) Michigan, 3) Michigan St, 4) Ohio St, 5) Purdue
West: 1) Illinois, 2) Iowa, 3) Minnesota, 4) Northwestern, 5) Wisconsin
South: 1) Kansas, 2) Missouri, 3) Nebraska, 4) Oklahoma, 5) Texas
Each team schedule: 4x Pod games, 3x cross-pod games with 1 from each pod, 1x 'open' game with pod leaders playing each other (semi-final) & everyone else assigned, 1x optional conference champion game for 2 teams (semi-final winners) = 8 league games, 3 or 4 OCC games.
As for the contract, it's ND, I am sure there is a loophole or an out clause in the ACC contract somewhere just based on the experience that the Big E had with ND.
Still Zoo Cougar is right that with no other options, they'd consider the SEC. But that won't happen.
